McGrath: Thank you, voters, for going to the polls and showing democracy can work

Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune / Chicago Tribune

Naperville resident Lauren Underwood's election to the U.S. House was one example of the voters restoring a system of checks and balances to the federal government, columnist David McGrath says.

Naperville resident Lauren Underwood's election to the U.S. House was one example of the voters restoring a system of checks and balances to the federal government, columnist David McGrath says. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune / Chicago Tribune)

For most Americans, last week’s mid-term elections went beyond just a sigh of relief.

They were more like a nation-saving injection of Narcan. That's the miracle drug that, at the very last minute, can resuscitate a patient dying of a drug overdose.

The patient, in this case, was the U.S. citizenry, which was on the brink of moral and ideological death from an overdose of demagoguery.

Two years ago, the country installed Donald Trump as president, not without apprehension. Then, in small but progressively larger doses, we were exposed to his race baiting, misogyny, xenophobia, dishonesty and divisiveness.

Because the toxin was doled out in increments, we actually started to develop immunity. Shocked at first, we slowly became numb. Many remained incredulous but powerless to act.

But thankfully in a democracy there is always hope. Even though in the last several months, every manner of mirage and obstruction was shoved up front by Trump to occlude that hope, from his fear mongering about the caravan “invaders” to outright lies about Republicans' embrace of health care coverage for pre-existing conditions.

The reason for his pitched battle in a mid-term election, which historically elicits little interest or voter turnout, is that Trump was fighting for himself. Not for ideals or principles or even policies. He was fighting for his presidency.

Trump knew that if any kind of reasonable checks and balances in Washington's power structure were restored, his days would be numbered: his days of lying and bellowing and insulting and perhaps his days for remaining in the Oval Office.

That is why, even though our 72-year-old President believes exercise is foolish, kept up such a grueling schedule of travel and cheerleading (bad mouthing) every single day in the last two weeks before the election.

It was do or die for Donald Trump.

So he did, but he “died.”

That's because on Nov. 6, Democrats took back control of the House of Representatives. Voters essentially gave oversight of the president's actions to the new majority.

What Trump fears the most, and what the new House majority enthusiastically awaits, are the results of the Mueller investigation. Nancy Pelosi, the next presumed House speaker, said that Mueller's findings regarding collusion, obstruction and/or emoluments will determine whether or not impeachment proceedings will be brought to bear.

Yes, Trump is still the president of the United States but his poisonous reign will effectively be hobbled come Jan. 1 when nothing will become law without Democratic support.

With subpoena powers returned, the House can even make the president accountable for actions already taken, like his sending thousands of troops to the border for apparent political gain.

Additionally, they can investigate whether conflicts of interest were behind his cozying up to Russia and Saudi Arabia, by subpoenaing his tax returns from the U.S. Treasury secretary.

All of these considerations constitute a win for America. And unlike wars in recent U.S. history, this one had a noble, worthwhile cause. We waged war against hatred, ignorance, racism and greed in favor of truth, integrity, civility and equality.

As for the heroes of this war, look in the mirror, America! You came together; you showed up at the polls; and you tore down Trump's wall.

You brought us closer to an equitably representative democracy by upping the number of women in Congress by more than 100, including Naperville's very own Lauren Underwood, a Democrat who beat incumbent Randy Hultgren, becoming the first African-American woman to represent the state's 14th District.

Admittedly, all the hurt that was done to this nation cannot have been undone. But it's a start, and it feels like a morning in spring.

What comes next?

Certainly, we can at least take a little time to celebrate the proof that the system works; that we took the first step in righting our world; that we can undo some of the harm that would have befallen our children and grandchildren, resulting, for example, from Trump's denial of climate change and his withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.

But celebrating does not mean gloating. You don't gloat when you beat cancer. You are enormously relieved and happy. But it requires being pro-active to prevent its return.

So instead of castigating those who were misled into supporting this D.C. scourge, we take a lesson from Nelson Mandela to forgive. Only then can we begin the practical effort of incorporating the lessons we have learned, such as detection and prevention of lies and propaganda on social media or reworking the methodology of our news coverage so the principles of equal time and reportage never endanger truth.

Just as our inviolate democratic principles have once again saved our country, so too in these other matters America will prevail.

mcgrathd@dupage.edu

David McGrath is an emeritus professor of English at the College of DuPage.